Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-10-21

derer OF Katie Braidhoft at Elrnirs,
On January 5. 1884, two boys, who were
hunting rabbits in the snow, found the
| body OF young woman lying imbeddeds
] Ia the ice OF creek under little bridge
| on the outskirts of the town. The woman
| had clearly been clicked 10 death and
| then thrown over the parapet of the
bridge. CIesr evidences Ct life and
death struggle were visible 10 d confusion
OF deeply imprinted footmsrks Ut s msn
and woman in the snow, ana near by lay
| 8 stuffed redbird th.t had osen wrenched
violently from the woman's hat. The
discovery of the body created 8 tremen-
dous sensation in the little city, and In &
Few hours score of witnesses were found
who identified the body IS that of
woman whom they had seen two days be-
lore going from one saloon to another SC
companied by man.
From this testimony it was concluded
that the murder had been committed or
the night OF the 4sh. Oue Witnt s. gave
an accurate description OF the woman'E
companion, and recalled particularly the
fact he appeared TO have something the
matter with one o. his eyes. Il subse-
Quently turned out that the murderer had
glass eye. This witness also remem-
bered hearing the couple making in
quiries about man who had formerly
been in the Z mira Reformatory, and
| from their conversation the idea was sug-
gested to bin thst possibly the man had
at one time been an inmate of the inst
tuition himself.
These facts, together with 8 descrip-
ton OF the man, were telegrsphed to Iu-
spector Byrnes that night, and, although
| the crime had been committed hundEeCs
Of miles away and there was no parncu-
lar reason for believing that the muir
| derer was in New York, the Inspector
| went 10 work on the case at once.
heinecke's glass eye proved his ruin,
tor the moment Detective Adams read the
description he remembered that five
years before he had arrested 8 young
German with glass eye, VINO went by
| the ma" cf Menken, for burglary COM
mitted IN Gunthers saloon, At the B5w-
cry and Houston street. Menken was
sent to the Etmira Reformatoiy, where he
| remained until the latter part of 1882.
Where 10 look for him the detectives
had no ides, out Adams, Crowley and
Kellaher began the search forthwith.
| Phree dxyS were spent in fruilless efforts,
but in the morning Of the fourtn the
! trail was struck and followed to Flstbush,
L l., where the detectives learned that
man, whom they had every reason to
| believe was Meinecke, was working IL
saloon kept by his brother in-lzW. The
| fugitive was known to be desperate
character, who, if not promptly over
| powered, would make determined re
| sistance. Hence the utmost caution was
necessary.
wuIa fho
! ing Kellaher and Adams within call out
| side. While taking drink and passing
| the time OF day he mad an opportunity 10
closely scan the features of the man be-
| hind the ear. The glass eye was unmis-
taxable, and II only remained for Crow
| ly to make an opportunity TO signal his
| brother Officers without exciting sUs-
picion. Noticing barber's chair in
one corner OF ths saloon, he glanced a.
1t, sBd thoughtfully rubbed his hand over
| his chin.
| Meinecke noted the motion and asked.
Twill you have shaver"
81 guess 1 WILL" responded Crowley.
"Take 8 sest," said meinecke, "the
b8rber'll be in in minute"
! Crowley replied that he would wait,
an6, lounging carelessly TO the door made
q quick signebto the detectives, and, re-
| turning, took q seat near the bar. 4
| minute afterWarG KeIlaher and Adams en-
| tered, and without apparently noticing
| CroWl y leaned against the bar and or
dered drinks. as the bartender tucved
| to reach for bottle KeIlaheF whipped
round the end OF the bar and grabbed
! him.
The thing vas done so suddenly that
| the man had no time even to thiak of re-
sistance. He was absolutely dumfounded
Handouts were snapped on his wrists,
| and he was seated in 8 chair, where
Adams mounted guard over him with q
cooked revolver, while Kellaher and
| Crowley searched his room, where thev
found quantity CT jewelry which had
| been seen in the possession Of Meinecke's
victim on the morning of the day she wss
killed. That night the prisoner slept in 8
cell at headquarters.
| More clews remained to De followed
up, and on the next day K2llsher learned
| that young woman answering the de-
scripsion OF the murdered girl mad left the
| employment of q MIS-. Lissen, on East
| Nineteenth street, in company with &
man whom he had reason TO believe was
| MeineCke. Mrs. Lissen was shown The
| jewelry and identified it as belonging TO
girl named Katie BradchCf or BroidhoE,
! who had Left her house on December J!
| with young man named William Meyers,
| to whom she was ABOUT TO be married.
Mrs Lissen also identified the prisoner
as the man Meyers.
Having discovered the murdered wo-
| mans name, Kellaher soon found one Of
her sisters, Woo was working in q saloon
at Allen and Stanton streets, and took
her to Elmira, where she WAS shown the
body and IS once identified it.
This comp leted the chain Of evidence
against the murderer, AMI he was
promptly tried, convicted and sentenced
to De hanged. A new trial, however, was
ordered, and 8 change Of venue vas
granted to Binghamton. There the fad
ing Of the frat court was confirmed, aud
On July 2, 1884, Meinecke suffered the
extreme penalty OF the laT Of Eluaire.
That Meinecke gained the affections Of
bis victim and lured her to Eimira to
murder her for the sake Of her iswelry
and a considerable ann NJ unpoU rubFob